Weather and Traffic

Depression to deliver blustery weather all week

11 PM UPDATE: The structure of Tropical Depression Nine was improving, the National Hurricane Center said, but tropical storm force winds were not found with the system so it remained classified as a depression. An upgrade to tropical storm status was forecast for the 5 a.m. Tuesday advisory.

5 PM UPDATE: Tropical Depression Nine remained disorganized today, but the National Hurricane Center said forecasters still expect it to become a tropical storm by Tuesday morning. A tropical storm watch or hurricane watch may be issued for parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast on Tuesday. (Credit: NHC)

11 AM UPDATE: Up to a foot of rain has fallen in western Cuba as Tropical Depression Nine pushes into the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. The depression is forecast to become a tropical storm by later today and reach winds of 65 mph by Thursday as it approaches landfall north of Tampa.

*

ORIGINAL POST: It looks like August will go out wet and wild in South Florida as the tropical weather season kicks into high gear.

Moderate rains have arrived with the development of Tropical Depression Nine. Forecasters are predicting 2-5 inches over South Florida’s East Coast through Wednesday, and fast-moving showers off the Atlantic began slowly building toward that total on Sunday.

Palm Beach International Airport measured 0.16 of an inch Sunday and another 0.23 through 8 a.m. today. Palm Beach reported a heftier 0.4 of an inch Sunday and 0.14 of an inch this morning.

“We are just now entering peak hurricane season, which lasts from mid-August through mid-October. These months have historically accounted for 78 percent of total tropical storm days, 87 percent of the category 1 and 2 hurricane days, and 96 percent of the major (category 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days.”

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center is calling for more than 8 inches through Saturday along Florida’s West Coast and up to 3-4 inches in coastal Palm Beach County.

Rain chances in Palm Beach remain relatively high all week, starting out at 70 percent today and rising to 80 percent tonight and 90 percent on Tuesday, when Tropical Depression Nine is forecast to begin a more northerly track through the Gulf of Mexico.

“TD Nine will keep abundant deep tropical moisture steaming across South Florida,” National Weather Service forecasters said in this morning’s discussion from Miami.

PEAK OF THE SEASON: NHC forecasters have five areas of concern on the tropical Atlantic map, including Hurricane Gaston in the Central Atlantic and Tropical Depression Nine near Key West. The yellow “X” on the coast of Africa was given a 50 percent chance of development over the next five days as it tracks west across the Atlantic. This system could be another nail-biter for the U.S. East Coast as forecast models show it approaching the Lesser Antilles on Labor Day. (Credit: NHC)

NAME GAME: Tropical Depression Nine, entering the Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Depression Eight off the Carolinas are both forecast to become tropical storms. Their names depend on which one develops first with sustained winds of at least 39 mph.

Tropical Depression Nine seems to have the edge in the race to become Hermine, since NHC forecasters are predicting tropical storm strength by Tuesday morning. Tropical Depression Eight is forecast to achieve that designation Tuesday night.

The consolation prize for whichever system comes in second will be Tropical Storm Ian.

If both of those systems become named storms, the next three are Julia, Karl and Lisa.